Greater New Orleans

Create Your Own Luck

With
St. Patty’s being celebrated this month it always makes me think about
the word luck. Luck has the reputation of being life’s X factor. Luck
is that element of surprise, that part where factors outside of our
control make themselves known. The way you feel about your luck
determines whether you’re going to purchase a lottery ticket or stay
indoors, but Lady Luck can be a fickle mistress. It’s wild, untamed,
and cannot be controlled. You are lucky or unlucky, and you have
absolutely no control over that, right?

As an adult, you control the level of
participation that you have with your life. You can choose to believe
that nothing good ever happens to you and that you’re doomed by your bad
luck never to succeed. With this type of attitude, you might believe
that you have bad luck with finding mates, receiving job opportunities,
and other events. Instead, what happens when you believe that you have
good luck?

There is a universe of opportunity in
front of you. Right now, you can choose to do anything, and the
attitude that you possess while doing that thing will determine its
outcome. So, let’s say that you decide to go to the store. If you are
open minded and positive about opportunities which you may receive, you
might be let in on some great deals by the people who work there. The
opportunities which exist for you are created by you, they don’t just
spontaneously form.

Luck is “Success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions.”

Think about a lucky person in your
life. This person appears to receive and capitalize upon more
opportunities than the average person. The lucky person is supposedly
more likely to receive the job, get the girl, and win the competition
through no hard work of their own. Have you also noticed that the lucky
person is also one of the happiest people in the room? Which do you
think came first, the happy or the lucky? Put another way, have you
seen really lucky party poopers?

Attitude is contagious! It’s the
truth! You are affected just as much by someone else’s smile as you are
affected by their frown. You will mirror those reactions and start to
take on the emotions which those facial expressions encompass – even
when you don’t start out feeling happy or sad. Because of that natural
human connection with others, we are likely spreading around our
emotions right now. Do you want those around you to be happy or sad
because of your presence?

If others are happy, they’re more likely
to be at ease. They’re also more likely to be confident around you.
That ease and confidence makes others want to be around you more
often. Simply put – spreading warm cheer attracts others like a
magnet. Cheer and happiness are like drugs – at the first little sniff
of them, we want as much as we can get. Offering that is a back stage
pass to the opportunities which you desire.

Not only will others want you around
more often, but they will take active steps to bring you into their
lives more often. You will get invited to parties. You will get more
business opportunities. You will have more shots at love. In fact,
you will find that people want to do more favors for you and that
they’re willing to bend the rules to make your life that much easier.
While some people place this on luck, they’re really side effects of an
intentional positive attitude. In other words, luck by design, not
chance.

Creating a positive attitude is creating
your own luck in a situation. When you take the time to make others
feel great through your own positive attitude, they are more willing to
offer you things and opportunities of higher and higher value. A boss
is likely to offer the job to someone who has the experience and the
positive attitude rather than someone who merely has the experience. A
person is likely to become your friend if you make them feel good upon
first meeting them.

You’re more likely to remember the
person who made you feel great, too. Let’s say that you meet the social
butterfly at a company function, and that person happens to be a
receptionist. You need a receptionist in your area, and the job comes
with a higher pay grade and better benefits. There’s a high likelihood
that you’ll offer this receptionist position to the social butterfly,
just based on their great attitude. Those around the new receptionist
might say that it’s luck, but it was that person’s positive attitude
which affected your decision.

There isn’t good or bad luck. You make
your own luck. Your attitude, whether good or bad, paves the way for
the luck that you have. Spreading around the positive attitude will
make people remember you, and it will make people more prone to give you
the best things that life has to offer. They will invite you to events
simply on the basis that they want to be around you. Others might
consider that to be luck, but you are the one who chooses to have the
positive attitude. It’s by choice.

GOYA-cise:

When you think, talk, and act positively
toward yourself and those around you, opportunities will come your way.
Take a few moments each day to document these positive opportunities
which come about as a result of your new positive mindset. You will
start to notice just how important being optimistic in life will attract
the luck you deserve.

“Remember that it is up to you to choose
everyday to Get off Your Attitude and to create a positive lifestyle
for yourself and others” Ryan C. Lowe

Ryan Lowe is a professional
speaker, coach, consultant, and author and has delivered presentations to
companies of all sizes, from small businesses to Fortune 500s, resulting in
higher performance in individuals and organizations. During his career he has
achieved award-winning sales positions and became one of the most-requested
speakers/trainers with Brian Tracy Seminars, The American Sales Trainer
Association, Universal Seminars, and The Productivity People. He has also
served as the vice-president of sales for two financial services corporations
and as a partner in a financial services start-up. He has presented to sales
groups, financial institutions, churches, sports groups, non-profits, schools,
civic organizations, and more.